Garter



Patented Jan. 14, 1930 ALIPHONSO W. BELCHER, OF WINTHBOP, MASSACHUSETTS GARTER Application filed June 12, 1929. Serial No. 370,188.

This invention relates to devices for maintaining hosiery in position, and refers particularly to that type of hosiery supporters which includes an elastic band for surrounding the leg of the user, said band having a hook or its equivalent at one end, and connected at the other end, usually adjustably, to a clasp or hose-gripping member, the device having some portion or member to be engaged by the hook when in use.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved simple and inexpensive garter which may. be used on either the right or left leg and is entirely comfortable when worn, and has a pad portion of sufficient size between the elastic band and the hose-gripping members to afford ample area to be grasped between a thumb and finger for manipulating the members to grip or clasp the fabric of the hose.

lVith said object in view, the invention thereof to removably engage the cord loop presently described. The other end of the band is doubled and provided with a suitable clasp or buckle so as to provide a loop 14 in the band which is adjustable in a well-known manner to vary the length of the band to suit the size of the wearers leg. As so far described the structure may be of any of the well-known types.

Engaged within the band loop 14 is a small loop or ring 15 of flexible material hereinafter for the sake of brevity referred to as a cord loop. The reason for its being small will be explained hereinafter.

Carried by the cord loop 15 is a flexible pad 16 of satin or other cloth or other flexible material such as leather. Said pad encloses the cord loop and preferably is so closely secured to it that any lateral or swinging movement of the pad which carries the clasp or hose-gripping members will cause the opposite portion of the cord loop to shift lengthwise in the hook 13 and band loop 14. But still, as hereinafter described, any such shifting can not chafe the leg of thewearer because so much of the cord is covered.

The clasp or hose-gripping members are illustrated as of a well-known typecomprising a flexible strip 17 carrying a stud 18, and a wire clasp member 19, the method of use of which is so Well known as to require no description thereof.

My improvements consist of the members illustrated at 15 and 16, and said members i and the advantages thereof will now be more fully described The cord loop 15 is a small one relatively to the width of the band 12 and the width of the pad 16; that is, the total length of the member which provides the flexible loop 15 only slightly exceeds the width of the band 12 and pad 16, and the portion of the band which carries the hook 13, and therefore there is but a small amount of the cord 15 that is not covered by said band and pad. Furthermore, the end of the band which carries the hook 13 extends beyond the hook and is so wide that when the arter is in use said wide end is interposed between .the leg of the wearer and the hook and loop, and conse quently no portion of the cord is likely to contact with the leg of the wearer.

The pad 16 is of such size as to not only constitute a member that can be so firmly grasped between a thumb and finger as to materially facilitate the manipulation of the clasp member 19 for connecting to the users hose, but also protects the leg of the user from chafing by that portion of the cord which is enclosed by the pad. And since an other considerable portion of the cord is en closed by the wide loop 14: of the band 12, there is but a minimum amount of the cord that is exposed. A short length of the cord 15 at each side of the band loop 14 is accessible for engagement by the book 13, and since such engagement may be made at either side, the garter is equally serviceable and can be worn with equal comfort on either a right leg or a left leg.

Another important feature of my invention resides in the fact that although the hook 13 and band loop 14: are free to slide but a short distance on the cord 15, yet it is sufficient to enable the said hook and loop to automatically adjust themselves to suit long or short hose and the shape of the wearers "leg, either right or left, thereby ensuring comfort to the wearer. Practically no part of the cord 15 is sufliciently exposed to exert uncomfortable pressure or chafing on the wearers leg. Only enough of it is exposed to permit the automatic adjustment referred to.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. In a hosiery garter, the combination with a. single continuous band having a length to substantially surround a users leg, of aflexible loop having a pad connected closely to it to transmit lateral motion of the pad to the cord, said loop being connected to one end of the band and shiftable laterally relatively thereto, said pad having a hosiery-gripping member connected to it, the other end of the band being wide and having a hook for re movably engaging said flexible loop, said wide end of the band extendin beyond the hook to be interposed between the leg of the user and the hook and loop.

2. In a hosiery garter, the combination with a single continuous band having a length to substantially surround a users leg, of a flexible loop having a pad connected closely to it to transmit lateral motion of the pad to the cord, said loop being connected to one end of the band and shiftable laterally relatively thereto, said pad having a hosiery-gripping member connected to its lower end and widened upwardly to have an area to be firmly grasped between a thumb and finger for manipulating the hosiery-gripping member, the end of the band opposite to that which has the loop connected to it being wide and having a hook for removably engaging said flexible loop, said wide end of the band extending beyond the hook to be interposed between the leg of the user and the hook and loop.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

ALPHONSO W. BELCHER. 

